The Ocean's Silver Light
by Malachite Circle
Summary: AU Kingdom Hearts, Rikucentric. A darker, more dangerous tale than the original story, one that questions the very roles of Light, Darkness, and everything in between. Keep an eye on my profile for updates.
1. One Last Time

**The Ocean's Silver Light-**A Kingdom Hearts fic by Malachite Circle. Originally written: August 29, 2006**  
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**A/N: **Okay! Here we go with my first Kingdom Hearts fic! Reviews and comments greatly appreciated, but be nice, onegaeshimasu. :) Honestly, I'm still not totally happy with this chapter yet…but if I don't put it up now, I'll get sucked into that vicious downward spiral of "Agh! Just a little bit more tweaking and it'll be perfect!" And that's just…annoying and unproductive.

**Spoiler warning:** Umm…unless you never got off Destiny Island in Kingdom Hearts I…there aren't any, I guess. ;)

**Standard disclaimer: **Kingdom Hearts and its respective characters are the property of those geniuses at Square-Enix (bows) and Disney. They made it, not me…which is really good, cause if it was my idea…it would prob'ly never get finished, and we wouldn't all be the happy fangirls/boys we are today!

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**Chapter 1: One Last Time**

_I have been here for as long as I can remember, yet I cannot shake the feeling that the time spent here is only temporary. Certainly this island has a timeless quality to it-the days drift by on balmy breezes, one into the other, ceaseless and predictable as the tide. The past is a meaningless memory, the future doesn't exist yet, so I sit here on this shining island, amid the shining sea, suspended breathlessly between that which was and that which is yet to be-_

"Riku! Hey, Riku!"

My eyes fly open and immediately squint against the sudden brightness. I glimpse the shadow flashing toward me, however, and instinct sends me leaping backwards. Twin fountains of white sand bloom briefly, one from beneath my feet, the other from the tip of the wooden sword Sora had swung.

"Hah! Almost got you this time!" he says with a wide grin, swishing the toy sword around to rest it on his shoulder, a movement that sent more sand whisking through the air.

"_Almost_," I reply pointedly, crossing my arms over my chest. "And it'll stay that way if you keep warning me beforehand."

Sora grins at me for a moment, his blue eyes almost unnaturally intense under the brilliant tropical sky. The next moment, he surges forward, wooden sword swiping down again. I sidestep the blow easily enough, but grab my own sword that is leaning against a crooked palm tree nearby and whip it around to block an unexpectedly quick follow-through. The ensuing _crack_ reverberates through the air around us.

"I see all that practice with Tidus is finally showing some results," I cannot help but add a slightly sarcastic curl to the words. It's worth it just to see Sora's bristled expression of indignation. He really is too easy sometimes-well, most of the time. His answer comes as a violent push against my sword, undoubtedly with the aim of knocking me off balance. I take an abrupt step backwards and he stumbles a bit, but follows me, slashing in short bursts, back and forth. I let my momentum carry me backwards, keeping the sword tip whistling through empty air each time.

_He really has improved_, I find myself reflecting, impressed in spite of myself. _However…_

My sword cracks once, twice, against his and it is sent flying out of his grasp. It lands with a thump in a patch of tall grass waving nearby, while he stares in what could only be termed bewilderment at his empty hands.

"What does that make the score now?" I ask with a grin. I don't really expect an answer, of course.

The surprise on Sora's face vanishes, predictably replaced by a defiant glare.

"You would know, wouldn't you," he grouches as he fishes his sword out of the grass.

"I don't know-you've lost to me so many times now…" I am still grinning, resting my own sword on my shoulder. "But I think it was somewhere around 487 to zero…"

Sora's jaw drops.

"Eh-? No way! It can't be _that_ much!" he sputters, then brandishes his toy sword at me again with a slightly wild grin. "Then you'd better watch out, 'cause 488 is my lucky number!"

"What about your other 487 'lucky numbers'?" I chide, bringing my own sword up again.

"Those were just practice," Sora retorts without missing a beat.

_Sometimes I wonder if he _really _listens to what comes out of his mouth…_

"Oh-I almost forgot-Kairi says dinner is almost ready, so hurry up," he continues, whooshing his sword through the grass he had pulled it from.

"I though Tidus was cooking tonight?" I ask; Sora shakes his head.

"Kairi convinced him to let her do it, thank goodness," he says with a slight shudder.

"This is what, the fifth time she's traded places with him?" I can't help but laugh a little bit. "You'd think he'd have learned by now that nobody wants to eat jellyfish flambé…"

"Except him, I guess, since he ate _everyone's_ share that-hey, you comin'?" Sora had already started walking towards the short wooden bridge connecting this islet to the rest of the island. He looks back over his shoulder at me now.

"Go on-I'll catch up," I dismiss him with a wave.

"Well, okay…just don't expect me to save you any!" he calls and breaks into a run.

"Don't eat too much-you're slow enough as it is!" I shout after him-I don't think he hears me, because he doesn't respond as he disappears over the top of the dunes. Just beyond I can see a curl of smoke rising against the deepening blue sky; I catch a whiff of something warm and savory. It smells good.

The smile fades quickly from my face as I shake my head slowly, returning my sword to its resting place on the palm tree and leaning back against it. The endless sea stretches out before me, sparkling with a thousand tiny reflections of the sun that was creeping westward.

As long as I have been here, this island has never really changed. Bright, breezy days fade softly into warm, lingering twilight with the moon glowing high overhead. On occasion, storms sweep through, whipping the sea into a gray-green froth beneath the angry black sky. Twice lightning has struck palm trees near the sprawling wooden structure that was our home away from home, but thanks to the soaking rain, nothing caught fire.

As long as I have known him, Sora has never really changed-always friendly and bright and cheerful. The stormy moments are few and far between and like this island, the mood after somehow always manages to be even sunnier than before. I imagine that even now he's joking with Tidus or "helping" Wakka fish or, most likely, talking with Kairi. And the next time we meet, he'll have forgotten all about the frustration of his latest defeat. He'll be the same Sora I've always known and will likely continue to be for as long as-well, for as long as we're together. However long that is…

_Because I can't shake the feeling that my time here is only temporary._

That thought floats back into my mind unbidden and I sigh again. It is true, after all-what is there here for me? Sora and this island are perfectly suited for each other, even Kairi, who came to our shore seemingly by the whim of the ocean, is perfectly at home, her laughter rivaling the warmth of the sun itself. Yet I feel no connection to this place, merely-_suspended breathlessly between that which was and that which is yet to be-_

_-Destiny._

The word hits my consciousness like a stone tossed into a still pond.

The name of this place. Destiny Island. Not the place I am meant to be, but the place where everything begins.

The broad fronds of the ring of palm trees surrounding me rustle and scrape against each other in the ever-present breeze. It is a mundane sound-it _should_ have been a mundane sound, but this time it grates against my ears like a scream in the dead of night. The setting sun casts a soft golden glow over the ocean, but here beneath the trees…the shadows writhe like snakes. Of its own accord, my hand closes over my sword again, but I hold it at my side, a small part of my mind chiding me for being too jumpy.

Fine white sand caught in the wind swirls round my legs as my gaze darts among the trees before me. _What am I looking for? There's nothing-_

No-there _is_ something. I can feel my insides knotting up-the back of my neck prickles uncomfortably. My grip on the wooden hilt of my sword tightens as I slowly bring it up before me. My gaze flickers up, left, right-nothing-

_No, there _is_ something!_ The tight, clenched feeling in my stomach moves upward to my chest and my breath comes shorter. I can feel sweat prickling on my forehead even as the wind blows harder and suddenly cold, whipping my hair against my face. It whistles through the palm trees now, high and shrill, like the predatory cry of the vast black presence I can feel looming around me-around this whole island-maybe even the whole world-

I don't know what it is that makes me look up-perhaps a flash of movement or a sound sensed more than heard-but the instant I do, I see _it_ hurtling down from the flailing palm leaves-the evening shade is thick around me, but this thing is blacker still than even that, save for twin gleams of sickly yellow light that flash toward me like shooting stars.

I never even truly see the thing. In the span of less than a heartbeat, my wooden sword snaps up and connects with-_something_. Whatever _it_ is is sent flying over the short cliff to my left and disappears. The wind gusts bitterly cold now, sweeping the shadows along, staining the sea black and engulfing the beach around me-I can _feel_ them clinging to my skin like oil, clogging my throat until I choke.

But after one last, vicious gust, the wind fades away, taking the shadows with it; the sun's late warmth seeps back through the trees in thick golden rays. All is as it would be on a normal evening here. They scent of open water and growing things is everywhere, warm sand and faintly, smoke from our cooking fire. From farther inland comes lonely whistling of a bird singing the sun to sleep. Gentle. Peaceful.

So why won't my heart stop pounding? Why am I breathing like I've run the circumference of the island a dozen times? My right hand aches fiercely and I realize it is clenched white-knuckled around the wooden hilt of my sword. With effort, I slowly relax my grip and take the sword in my left hand, slowly flexing the fingers of my right. I cannot help but notice them shaking. The island seems eerily quiet now-

"Riku?"

Thinking back on it, if it had been anybody other than the person who possessed that endlessly gentle voice, they probably would have received a nasty bruise to the side of their face. Even so, my sword still swishes close enough to Kairi that she flinches and steps back.

"Are you…okay?" she asks predictably, concern clearly warring with shock in her expression.

Honestly, the second I had seen her face, the words, "It's okay-I'm fine-nothing to worry about-" had rushed to the tip of my tongue. But when the moment comes…the untruth of those words rings profoundly hollow. As I stare at her, my voice frozen, I see the worry in her eyes deepen. She starts to take a step forward, but hesitates, her gaze flickering down toward the sword tip still hovering before her. I withdraw it quickly, but cannot bring myself to put it down completely.

The silence stretches thin between us-the rush of waves breaking gently on the beach nearby sounds as distant as starlight.

"Riku-" she begins again.

"I'm fine." This time, the words leap out before I have time to think about them and once they are said, the rest of the façade falls into place. I relax my posture, leaning back slightly, resting my sword on my shoulder again. "Really-you just startled me is all."

Which, technically, is completely true.

Kairi gazes at me a moment longer, still worried, uneasy, and for that moment I am afraid she doesn't believe me. But then she smiles a little and takes a step toward me.

"Everyone's started eating already, so you should come join us," she says and her smile grows, sets her deep blue eyes gleaming. "I promise it's not jellyfish."

"If you made it, I'm sure it's delicious," I say and she looks surprised again, but a pleased blush creeps onto her cheeks. I don't say things like that very often, so it's a good distraction while I finish calming down-

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asks suddenly. She is looking at me again, very closely, almost searching.

"Kairi! You worry too much!" I laugh a little, shaking my head and hoping it doesn't sound too forced.

"Then you didn't feel that just a few minutes ago?" Her voice quivers slightly and that note of fear jerks the smile off my face. We stare at each other for another long moment and in her eyes I see the same fear, the same shadow I know still lurks in my own.

"What do you think it was?" I ask quietly. Kairi shivers, wrapping her arms around herself though the evening is still warm.

"I don't know…but I don't want to see the sun set," she whispers, staring past me at the brilliant golden globe sinking into the ocean far beyond, where sky and water melt into each other in a rippling mirage of burning color. "I feel like if it does…we'll never see it again."

Her words fade away into the brush of the wind through the palm leaves. The light of the setting sun gleams like flame in the dark red of her hair, shimmers in the lonely tear that creeps slowly down her cheek-and I cannot believe that I didn't realize earlier…how beautiful she is… My hand tightens around the hilt of my wooden sword again.

"I'll always protect you, Kairi," I say in a low voice, speaking for her alone, though I knew no one else was around. I can almost feel the sound of those words humming through the air between us. "If the sun burns out, if I have to fight through all the darkness in the world-I will always protect you."

Kairi's distant eyes blink, then focus on me again. I nearly gasp at the sight of them-clouded with a deep sorrow the likes of which I had never would have thought possible in her.

"I know you will," she says, her face lighting up in a smile again, leaving me to wonder if that flash of sorrow had been my imagination.

"No matter what happens," She shakes her hair away from her face. Her tears are gone now, replaced by a steady calm and what could only be called determination.

"We'll always be together," she finishes firmly. "You, me, and Sora."

I grimace a little. "You mean I'm going to spend the rest of my life with that idiot?"

Kairi laughs.

"Just try not beat him _too_ badly next time," she teases me. "You know he's never going to stop until he beats you even once."

"And if that day comes, I'm _never_ going to hear the end of it." I shake my head, catching Kairi's gaze and grinning. "So I'll just have to make sure he never does."

Her smile, for that moment, is brighter than the sun.

"And to do that," she says, "you need to eat! Come on!"

We walk together across the bridge and onto the stony path leading to the beach where everyone is gathered. Strange-I find the oddest, most mundane things catching my attention as I walk-the crunch of gravel and sand beneath my shoes, the barely-heard squeaks of a group of bats fluttering out in search of fruit, the echo of our friends' laughter over the dunes.

As long as I have lived here, I have dreamed of leaving, of sailing across the ocean's heaving back, chasing down my future through the salty spray. Lately, that dream has wrapped itself ever more tightly around me, until every familiar sensation of living on this island grates on me like sand against my skin.

This will be my last night on this island. I know that somehow, as sure as the sun sets at my back, pushed beneath the rim of the world by the weight of night's heavy velvet shadows. Whatever is coming, for good or for ill, my destiny comes with it and despite the fear I felt earlier, my pulse quickens with the excitement of knowing that I will finally step foot on the path to my future.

But for now…the cooking fire burns merrily on the beach before me, welcome warmth against twilight's gathering chill. Tidus, Wakka, Selphie, and Sora are all gathered around it, laughing, joking. Sora looks to be on his third bowl, no surprise there. They wave us over, grinning broadly, teasing us about what took us so long.

I join in wholeheartedly, casting aside the fears of the past, ignoring the beckoning of the future. Living, one last time, in the present.

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Thanks for reading! If you liked it, thought it needed improvement in parts, whatever, please let me know! Second chapter should be up by no later then the end of next week-at the **absolute** latest. Much honest-to-goodness revision was required... Oh, and the meaning of the story's title will be revealed in the last chapter, so don't ask. Ta! 


	2. The Voice of Darkness

**A/N:** Warning-most of this chapter was written while listening to endless looping of the following songs:

"Passion" (Utada Hikaru, single version and the slower, "ending theme" version from KH2)

"A Little Pain" (Olivia, first NANA ending)

"Glamorous Sky (Black Stones, NANA live action movie)

If you haven't heard these yet, check them out, for they are fabulous! I normally don't write while listening to vocal songs (singing along is terribly distracting...), but these just seemed to fit the mood. ;) Oh, and I guess I should have mentioned earlier, but this story begins basically the same time the game does, just before they're supposed to leave on their raft. Didn't know if that was obvious or not…

**October 2, 2006--**Revision/expansion on the end of this chapter complete! Read it again, cause it's soooooo much better than the first version, it's not even funny...

**Standard Disclaimer:** Kingdom Heart+me does not equal ownage. (Although my good friend from school owned Xemnas something fierce in that last battle, muhuhahahaa….XD)

So without further ado…

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**Chapter 2: The Voice of Darkness**

As often as Sora, Kairi, Tidus, Wakka, Selphie, and I hang out with the other children from our hometown, we never had as much fun as when it was just the six of us. That night was no different. Tidus and Sora sparred constantly, fights that were far more interesting due to the fact that the two of them were evenly matched. I would stand to one side calling out advice and criticism and occasionally offering to take Tidus' place when Sora got overconfident. Wakka used his ball and keen eye to knock down coconuts, a few paopu fruits, and more than a few disgruntled birds, at which point Kairi told him to stop. Selphie, having consumed four double-decker s'mores in as many minutes picked up where he left off by climbing said palm trees and pelting him with the remaining coconuts, as well as a few empty bird nests. Kairi laughed at that point and told him he had it coming.

We all return home later than usual that night, joking and splashing each other with the paddles on our little rowboats. Tidus and Wakka lived close to each other and landed first at the line of docks where the fishermen moored their boats. Kairi said she would take Selphie home-the poor girl had already tumbled down the inevitable pit that follows a massive sugar overdose and could barely hold onto her paddle. Sora and I bid them goodnight with more than a few chuckles on Selphie's behalf and continue on.

"Well, I'd say that was a pretty darn good pre-departure party, right?" Sora says brightly, grinning at me across the space of water between us. "We should have another one to celebrate when we get back!"

My mouth opens, but I shut it the next instant, catching myself before something unwanted slipped out.

"Ah…yeah, that's a good idea," I say after a moment, gazing out over the rippling water before me. He really hadn't felt anything back then…

Jealousy stabs at me unexpectedly-he had no concerns, no fears, no ominous visions of choking shadows. He is a child in every sense-innocent and ignorant. Sora rambles on about who we should invite to that next party, but I hardly hear him. I'm too busy trying to reconcile a sudden and strong surge of dislike that is boiling up inside. Cheerful and optimistic was just how Sora was. It was the main reason so many people liked him. Hell, it was the main reason I was friends with him-he was the little brother I never had.

But this just was too much. Something was coming, something that held the entire fate of Destiny Island in its clutches…nobody could stay a child forever. It would be stupid and self-defeating to-

"Riku? Hey-isn't this your house?"

I blink, coming out of my reverie with a jolt. He's right-we've almost passed my house, tall and gleaming under the newly-risen moon. I mutter a curse. My paddle cuts through the water and I start to slide in front of Sora, heading towards the shore.

"Hey!" Sora calls; I glance back. "Make sure you're ready bright and early tomorrow! We've got a world to explore!"

Again, I hesitate.

"What do you think we'll find in that world?" I ask, paddling back around so I can look at him straight on.

Typical Sora, he grins at me even wider than before. "We won't know until we look, right? As long as we're together, it'll be a heck of an adventure!"

_As long as we're together…_

_We'll always be together…right?_

Part of me still thinks that maybe he had felt that approaching shadow just like Kairi and I but it truly did not bother him. Maybe I want to believe that he really is that strong. Anger flares to life again in the pit of my stomach. What if he really that strong? To not let something like, oh, _the end of life as we know it_ ruin his good mood-nobody could be that childish.

"Yeah," I say, short and cold. "I bet it will be."

I can't stand this anymore. I dig my paddle into the water, raising a small wave as I turn around and head for the shore. Sora calls "Good night!" after me. I ignore him.

Walking alone up the stone path that led to my house, I am surprised to see lights on downstairs. My parents are used to me getting home late, but they usually only leave the hall light on, and that can't be seen from the front window-

The white-painted door creaks as usual when I open it and step into the warm light of our kitchen. My mother is perched on one of the stools around an island table in the middle of the gleaming, blue- and white-tiled room. A half-empty coffee cup rests next to her elbow; her hands are folded and resting against her chin. She is staring straight at me, her lips pursed, not blinking.

I let the door creak shut behind me, my stomach sinking. I dart a glance at the clock to my left, above the wooden cabinets and wince. 12:47. Damn. I swallow and look back at my mother, whose green eyes have narrowed a bit.

"I was beginning to wonder if you'd rather have breakfast when you got home rather than dinner," she says flatly.

I cannot help but flush a little. "Um…sorry…"

She rolls her eyes and grins in a distinctly ironic fashion. "Oh, don't mind it, I was only sitting here for the last two hours worrying if you'd drowned or gotten carried off by some criminal," she says, standing and stretching her arms above her head. "Though given the amount of time you spend training with that toy sword, I'd feel more sorry for the criminal."

"And I can swim, you know," I reply, relaxing a little. My mother worries about me more than my father, but luckily she isn't quite as uptight as he was about discipline.

"All the same, if you're going to be out with your friends, please tell me when you're going to be this late, all right?"

"Well, we really didn't plan to…" I know it's a pathetic argument, but I have to give her something.

"Yeah, yeah, that's what they all say." My mother rolls her eyes again and shakes her head in a weary sort of way. The light from the overhead bulbs gleams brightly in her pale blonde hair.

"Off to bed with you then," she says and ruffles my hair as she walks past.

"G'night," I mutter after her, swiping my hair out of my eyes.

"Sweet dreams," she replies absently, vanishing around a corner. I hear her footsteps thumping up the stairs and an uneasy thought occurs to me: if this is my last night on this island…shouldn't I have said something to her? Tell her not to worry…say goodbye at the very least…?

I grit my teeth and shake my head in frustration. This is not something I want to worry about right now. My mother and father can take care of themselves; they trust me to take care of myself for the most part, I tell myself firmly. As if to prove that resolve, I switch off the kitchen light and walk quickly upstairs to my room.

The pair of doors leading out onto my small balcony were thrown wide open to let in the night breeze. The moon is on the other side of the house, so the room is gloomy. Outside the window, stars glitter brightly in the warm summer night; the waves, the trees, and the dark lumps of the other islands on the horizon are all frosted with silver light. I make my way across the room, letting memory and habit guide me to my bed. I flop down on it on my back, not even bothering to take my shoes off.

Staring sightlessly up at the ceiling, I wonder why I bothered coming up to my room at all. Left to myself after the laughter and childish games of the party, my thoughts finally have the chance to make themselves heard. Excitement mingles with something like dread, worry for my family and friends, lingering irritation at Sora…A thousand concerns pounce and claw at my mind like a cat with a bird, not quite overwhelming it, but never once letting it rest. A voice nags at me that I should get up and _do_ something, but since it can neither tell me exactly what I _should_ do nor convince my body to overcome its physical fatigue, I simply lay there.

I think I must have fallen into something like sleep, because the next thing I knew, my eyes flew open with a jolt. My heartbeat pulses loud in my ears as I try to remember what had awoken me. Through fragments of half-forgotten dreams comes a sound. A deep rumble, as thunder from an approaching storm, or the grating of ancient stone stirring after eons of stillness. My eyes narrow as I focus on that sound-it seems familiar somehow. Not, that's not quite the right word-it's more like I'm not surprised to heart it, like I knew it was coming-

I vault out of bed with a gasp and dash out onto the balcony. My gaze is fixed on the outline of Destiny Island rising above the dark water. For an instant I wonder at how long I slept because the island is rimmed from behind by a brilliant glow. Then I realize the light is not from the sun-nor is it even truly light. Destiny Island itself had been plunged into a shadow so black it made the night sky above brilliant by comparison.

"The door is opening…"

The words leave my mouth, formed from my own throat, but I am not even aware I speak them. As those words hang in the air before me, I feel, in the most deeply-buried corner of my being…a stirring. A flicker of anticipation-of _joy_. My eyes widen. Again, so familiar…

That nagging voice from earlier speaks up again and this time it _yells_. I don't stop to think before tearing out of my room and down the stairs. Heading for my rowboat.

I don't remember much of the passing from my home to Destiny Island. I know that I rowed with an almost frantic strength, water flying every direction, splashing over the side and soaking into my clothes. I don't notice. The wind blows harder around me, whipping the waves into an angry froth. Lightning flares above me sporadically, but the answering thunder is eerily absent. The only sounds I can hear are the rush of the waves, the palm leaves rasping against each other in the wind, and the crunch of sand on wood as my boat grounds itself. A little ways down the beach I notice another boat tied to the single small dock.

_Is that Kairi's? What's she doing here? Dammit all, she had better not be in trouble-_

Concern for Kairi brings a measure of focus to my racing mind and I jump out of the boat. But I barely take a dozen steps when a wave of dizziness slams into me with almost physical force. I stumble, reaching out and finding the rough trunk of a palm tree. I cling to it with both hands as the world tilts beneath me; my vision swims sickeningly. I close my eyes, but it doesn't help much.

"_I've been waiting for this moment, Riku-waiting for you."_

My eyes fly open in shock and I nearly lose my grip on the tree trunk. The same voice as before, only this time from within. I don't just hear the words, I feel them crawling into every corner of my mind. They melt into ever shadow on my soul-every dark thought, every memory of anger, resentment, jealousy, fear…

"_The door is opening-don't you want to see what lies beyond?"_

Cold water seems to rise in my chest with those words and my heart feels heavy as stone. It's hard to breathe, but I manage to gasp,

"Who are you?"

The response is laughter, low and derisive.

"_I am what you have always wanted to be."_

"What do you know about me?" I demand, anger beginning to bubble over the confusion.

The presence just laughs again and I feel the dark, cold water recede from my body and mind. I draw in a shaky breath and blink to clear my vision. My eyes focus on rippling white sand and I realize that I'm on my hands and knees. Still trying to just breathe steadily, I drag myself to my feet, leaning against the palm tree. My heart is pounding like it had the day before, my body just as weak and shaky.

But as I stand there, listening to the silence all around me, I realize that this time is different from before. Underneath the shakiness is exhilaration, like muscles strained to the point of exhaustion finding their new strength. I push away from the palm tree and look around. The island doesn't seem as dark as it was before, despite the fact that I can no longer see the stars. Above me the wind hisses through the palm leaves, tossing them about, yet not a single hair on my head stirs. I stand completely apart from this unnatural storm that is breaking across Destiny Island.

Or perhaps I am a part of it.

The presence in my mind whispers again. I cannot make out any words, but its voice nudges me onward. I break into a run down the beach, sand flying wildly as energy surges through me. On my left a rocky cliff covered in straggling and stubborn plant life rises from the beach. It curves away to my left and I follow it around. However, I barely turn the corner when I skid to a halt, nearly falling over. Standing outside the nearly-hidden entrance to our "Secret Place" is Kairi. Our eyes meet just as she glances backwards, almost as if she were waiting for someone. But there is no recognition in her eyes when she sees me-they seem to be gazing upon another world entirely.

Saying nothing, she turns and ducks under the hanging vines, disappearing into the darkness of the cave.

"Kairi!" I shout, finding the strength to dash forward again. _"Kairi!"_

My voice echoes mockingly off the rock in front of me. I reach the cave entrance, my hand outstretched to push the vines aside. What happened next I remember in a haze of slow motion. My hand disappears into darkness-disappears _completely_ before my horrified gaze. I cannot control my momentum and it carries me forward into that darkness. I duck instinctively, for the ceiling is low. That's when the ground beneath my feet vanishes and I begin tumbling through utter blackness. I'm not even sure if I'm falling, all sense of direction has vanished. Even more disturbing is the breathless, oppressive _silence_. I had theought the island was quiet when I had landed on the beach; the roar of the wind-whipped surf had been muffled and distant. But here, even the sound of my own breath was swallowed up the moment it left my lungs.

Lights flash up past from below me, brilliant and quick as shooting stars. There are colors in those lights now, deep blue and purple melting into green and orange, every shade brightening into yellow and then white. I continue tumbling and light explodes all around me, painfully bright. I clench my eyes shut, throwing my arm up before my face.

When it fades, I realize I am standing on a solid surface again. I bring my arm down and open my eyes cautiously. And then they stare wide in wonder. Around and above me stretches a vast white emptiness, so blank and bright that I feel dizzy looking up into it. I am standing on a broad circular platform of solid black. The surface is dull and doesn't reflect even a spark of of the white brilliance above. The edges of the platform seem more insubstantial, bleeding misty shadows.

"Where...the hell is this?" I mutter, gazing all around; my voice echoes slightly. A thought strikes me-

"Kairi?" I call, turning in a circle-_stupid, as if she was hiding behind me_-"Kairi!"

_You won't find her here._

The voice thrums softly through my mind. I tense, but it isn't the same voice as before. That one had been mocking, harsh; this one was softer, and deeper...older, somehow. Still, I'd had enough of voices in my head.

"Show yourself!" I yell, my hands clenching. "Who are you? If you want something, talk to me face to face, dammit!"

_I want nothing from you, _the voice replies. _However, I can give you something you will need in the times ahead._

"What the hell would you know what I want?" I growl, anger burning through me. "You and that other bastard-"

_He and I are not the same, _the voice cuts in, an edge of reprimand in the soft tone. _He seeks only to take and what he takes he will only destroy. He is a parasite that can only exist by leeching off of others._

"And what does that make you, Mr. Voice in my Head?"

_I have slept within you from the moment of your birth, _the voice answers, seemingly oblivious to my sarcasm. _Even not knowing who I was, you still yearned for me, sought endlessly for the missing fragment of your heart that lay beyond your grasp. You know who I am, without question and without fear._

My anger fades as those words brush across my mind. Darkness rises like a shroud around the edge of the platform, far above me until all the whiteness is swept away. I feel again that stirring of joy, quivering freedom as if a heavy and long-borne weight has vanished from my heart. I close my eyes and feel the shadows, their texture like silk against my skin. A sigh escapes my lips and that voice, soft and ancient as the night sky thrums again through my mind.

_The door is opening. Don't you want to see what lies beyond?_

My eyes still closed, I lift my hand slowly and reach out. My fingers brush against smooth, cool wood, then slightly rougher metal-a curved handle. I open my eyes and see a door before me, gleaming with a fay light in the shifting darkness. Shadowy, snake-like tendrils crawl around the frame of the door. I tighten my grip on the metal handle. It turns silently and I push the door open with a smile.

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**October 2, 2006--**Much better! Please banish that earlier hideousness from your mind-this is how the second chapter was _supposed _to end. :) I know I shouldn't have let guilt over missing a deadline get to me so much-I rushed the first version of this ending thinking I could get away with it...but no. It bugged me horribly over the weekend... . But all good now! Chapter 3 should be up soon-**that** one was easy to write, hehehe...I love writing with evil characters. Muhuhahahahaa... XD Thanks for reading, and more reviews means faster updates! No, seriously... 


	3. Divided Hearts

Okay, you've all waited long enough to read this, so I won't make you wait any longer. Onward!

**Standard Disclaimer:** Kingdom Hearts is not mine. Not while I'm awake, at least. I did have a dream where I had a Keyblade once, though...

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**Chapter 3: Divided Hearts**

Darkness surges over me like water, sweeping me up and away from the open door with dizzying speed. At the same time, I can feel it rushing _through_ me, filling a void within I had never known existed. A wild, fierce joy rises in me as power flashes through my veins; every nerve and muscle tingles with it. My wide eyes can see every shade of darkness rippling around me: velvet soft, obsidian bright, dense as a gathering storm and radiant as an eclipse. I hear again the thrumming voice from before, laughing in the back of my mind and my own voice joins it in glorious freedom.

I ride that wave of darkness until it crests, breaking over Destiny Island and hurling me back into myself. I open my eyes slowly, almost reluctant to end the dream. I am still standing in front of the tunnel leading to the secret place, my hand still reaching out.

"Kairi..."

The word might have been another echo off the stone cliff face, it is so faint. A shadow, deeper than the darkness of the cave before me gathers around my outstretched right hand, twining around my wrist. It feels cool and soft, but its grip on my arm is firm as it tugs me forward.

"Let go." The words come out automatically, but to my surprise, the shadow drops to the ground immediately. It wriggles in a circular pattern for a moment, then, for lack of a better term, stands up. The shadow thickens into a round head on a small body and even smaller, claw-like limbs. A pair of glowing yellow spots blink open like eyes and it looks up at me. I stare down at it, speechless. It is unmistakably the same creature that jumped out of the tree the day before.

As I continue to stand there, scraps of shadow detach themselves from beneath rocks and trees, materialize out of the darkness of the cave and slither forward all around me. In less than a minute, I am completely surrounded by a swarm of small black..._things_. My mind gropes about in vain for a word to name them, but they are like nothing I have ever seen or even imagined before. They are never still even for an instant, constantly twitching and jerking their heads around, scratching at empty air. They crowd densely around me, knocking into each other, but they do not touch me.

I take a tentative step forward. The dozen or so creatures in front of me wriggle backwards, leaving the same amount of space I had before. Not sure whether to be reassured or unsettled by their apparent docility, I take another step forward, ducking into the cave before me. The creatures, eerily silent, part like water before me and flow back together behind me. They follow as I move through the tunnel.

Surrounded by solid rock, it is always cooler inside the cave than out, but tonight it's _significantly_ colder. I can even see my breath misting before me. Wait. _See?_ The realization brings me up short for a moment. This tunnel was gloomy even at high noon. After nightfall, I shouldn't be able to see my hand in front of my face, much less my breath. What the hell was going on? With me, with Kairi, with this whole island...

..._what lies beyond the door..._

I latch on to that thought. Even now, I can feel something deep and nameless and _powerful_ stirring inside me. I have to know. I have to know what it is, what it wants...and how I can use it. The answer does not lie on this island. It never did.

All around me, the shadow creatures wriggle along the floor and walls, their yellow eyes glowing like fireflies. They do now wait for me now but stream past in numbers I rapidly lose track of. An alarm bell rings in the back of my mind. They seem to move with more determination than before, almost eager. I hurry after them. I have not forgotten that the last place I saw Kairi had been when she entered this cave.

As I squeeze around the last narrow bend in the tunnel I gasp loudly. It's _freezing_ here. I almost expect to see frost on the walls of the cave before me. It cannot quite be called a "room"-the tunnel widens a bit here, the ceiling rises enough that I can stand straight, but not much farther. There is a gap in the ceiling where a rockslide pulled part of the cliff away ages ago. The tunnel itself dead-ends about 10 feet from where I am standing, and at its far end is a carved wooden door.

I still remember the first time Sora and I crawled into this cave years ago. The door had been sealed then, nearly fused with the rock and impossible to open. Sora and I had tried, of course. I didn't remember much, but the moment we touched the polished wood, something had touched _us_. It had been cold and wild and utterly alien and had terrified us out of our young minds. We ran from the cave and didn't go back in for nearly a week. Afterwards, we spoke occasionally of what might have been on the other side, made up stories, but we never tried to open it again.

Kairi is standing before that door, her back to me.

Her body glows with a pure, silvery light that grows brighter even as I watch. A high-pitched tone rings through the air; not painful, but clear and pure as if the light itself was singing. The door quivers and scrapes against the rock trapping it. Tendrils of darkness push through around it like a beast clawing at its cage. I can feel the rock beneath my feet vibrating.

Looking at Kairi is almost painful now. Light pulses around her like a star as she raises her left arm, her hand reaching out-

A heavy _crunch_ shudders through the wood of the door and darkness erupts around it like wildfire. An ugly growl rumbles through the pure tones emanating from Kairi. My heart lurches in my chest and spots dance wildly before my eyes. I have to put a hand against the wall of the cave to keep from losing my balance. My heart pounds loud in my ears; voices, dry and thin as dead grass, fill my head, whispering frantically. There are no words that I can make out, but a mad hunger rages through them.

I shake my head fiercely and force my gaze upon Kairi, trying to regain my focus. I look up in time to see every shadow creature crowding in that little cave surge toward her. The wild whispering in my mind slams together into a single, unified shout-_HEART!!_

I stand there frozen for an instant longer. The shadow creatures don't seem to be getting close enough to touch her; some even explode in a cloud of smoky black particles under the assault of the brilliant light surrounding her. But then she cries out and the sound tears through my mind like a saw blade. I have _never_ heard her voice like that before. Kairi has been sad in the past, worried, anxious, even unhappy, but not once afraid. The desperate edge of fear in that voice snaps something inside me, and I push away from the wall.

At that point, time speeds up to a dizzying rate-light and shadow dance together to the wild pounding rhythm of my heart. The low rumble building in the earth crescendos to a thunderous paean, nearly overpowering the high, clear singing. I glimpse Kairi's face for a breathless instant as she turns to look back at me. Her face is framed by blinding light, her eyes are wide, gleaming like pools of sapphire. I can see her lips forming the syllables of my name, but her voice is lost amidst the sound of crashing darkness. From the door behind her, darkness rears up like a striking snake and explodes over the light in a reverse eclipse.

My hand is mere inches from her.

_Move. Reach out. Help her._

I cannot.

Standing half-turned, she is looking at me with that same expression of shock and confusion and fear. Light still burns fiercely around her, fighting off the darkness, the same darkness now curling around my hand, crawling up my arm.

My breath comes shorter-each one feels like I'm inhaling ice. My gaze moves slowly downward, tracing the thick tendrils of shadow to where they are buried in my chest. There is no blood-it doesn't even hurt. But my chest is bitingly cold and that chill slowly spreads out through my limbs. I stare down at those shadows for a long moment; they write slowly like snakes, the chill burrows deeper, reaching for my heart. At the same time, I can feel something deep in my heart stir in response, reach out to that shadow. But like my hand and Kairi, they do not quite meet.

_So close...so close! _The pressure is almost more than I can endure.

"..._the other side...don't you want to see what lies beyond?"_

_Yes! Yes, yes!!_ I'm nearly begging, feeling as though I'm at the crest of a towering mountain. There is only one thin, steel-strong strand holding me back and if I can just sever that, I can soar free.

I lunge forward, reaching for the door, but a shining white form flashes in front of me. Warm fingers close over my arm and Kairi stares at me with shining eyes. Light still flows around her like water, seeming all the stronger for the deepening shadows.

"Riku, please no..." she whispers; an echo of the song flirts around the edges of her words. "It's too dangerous-the darkness-"

"It's nothing to be afraid of!" I retort.

"But-" Kairi's gaze darkens and she shivers. "This isn't right. Riku...it's so dark, and cold. We'll be swallowed up-"

"Kairi, I said I would always protect you, didn't I?" I tell her, laying my hand gently over hers. "There's no reason to be afraid of the dark. We're not kids anymore. We have to go-_I_ have to go!"

My voice rises harshly on the last few words. She looks up at me suddenly, her eyes wide. Horror flashes through them for an instant and she jerks her hand away.

"What are you talking about?" she asks breathlessly, clutching her hand to her chest.

"I've been trapped on this island my whole life, Kairi. Everything was always bright and warm, blinding me to the truth." My voice sounds different even to my ears. It sounds deeper, more resonant, full of empty caverns and ageless darkness. My gaze shifts past Kairi, back to the door. I feel a slow smile curve my lips. Beyond that door is the last, quivering drop of power, poised to fall into and overflow my already-brimming heart.

"I am the one who will seek the darkness."

I grasp that rope and _pull_.

The door shatters.

The power waiting beyond the door is not the last, lingering drop that gently spills over. It is the entire ocean. If the power I had awakened before had given me wings, this transforms me into the wind itself. Darkness consumes me, soaking into my bones. The shadows have their own ancient song that pulses through me, soft and strong. I laugh aloud, spreading my arms wide. This is more than I ever could have hoped for, trudging through those endless days under a tropical sky. This is completeness. This is the joy of discovering the true path my life is to take. I had never thought very hard about the meaning of light and dark before, but I understand now that my soul has chosen darkness. All those years spent surrounded by warm, bright skies and carefree innocence had suffocated that darkness, chased it into the deepest corner of my heart. Now it rages through me like wildfire. I can barely keep a hold on my thoughts in the rush, but I realize this power springs from within, it is not mine alone.

Darkness floods my being and the waves spill over, joining a greater river that leads out to a place so vast and wild my mind reels with the thought of it. Images tumble through my vision, images of strange cities and even stranger, animal-like people. Corridors run along the converging shadows of objects floating jewel-bright in void-_other worlds_. I see a gleaming, blue-white expanse of ocean dotted with countless islands. Our world. Darkness coils close around it, flowing toward a single small point and threading out over the water. That small gap in the invisible barrier is slowly widening and darkness pours in and covers everything like a flood.

Except for one point.

A light burns amidst that sea of shadow, clear and so bright it's painful. I recoil automatically, retreating into soothing darkness. But recognition nudges me when I see that light. I know this presence...

Without knowing quite how, I move closer to that light. It is impossible to look directly at it, and every instinct is screaming at me to get away. But I grasp the darkness and pull it tightly around me like a cloak. It seems to help. The air shivers around me and images settle into place around me in fragments: cool sand, palm trees hanging raggedly as in the aftermath of a storm, waves rolling in from an endless ocean. I am back on Destiny Island.

"Riku!"

The sound of that voice thumps into me like an arrow. The blinding light is gone now, but I can feel the darkness inside flinching and drawing back, trying to hide.

"Where's Kairi? I thought she was with you!" Sora demands. He looks frantic, confused; parts of his clothing are torn. "What's going on?"

"The door has opened."

"What?"

"The door has opened, Sora!" I repeat impatiently. "Now we can go to the outside world!"

"What are you talking about? We've gotta find Kairi!" Sora says angrily, taking a step forward. Darkness flickers around me like flame and I have to fight the instinct to pull back into them. How can he not realize it? That invisible force radiates from his presence like heat from the sun.

"Kairi's coming with us! Once we step through, we may not be able to come back-we may never see our parents or this island again. There's no turning back. But this may be our only chance!" I hold out my hand, shadows curling around it. "We can't let fear stop us. I'm not afraid of the darkness!"

More of the shadow creatures wriggle up from the ground around me and they rush eagerly toward Sora. He yells and kicks at them, that unseen, unearthly brilliance flooding out from him in a wave. I can feel the darkness calling me back, tugging my heart back to the cool, silent depths, and I cannot resist it any longer. Sora was my first friend and part of me cringed in shame at the thought of leaving him behind, but whatever this force is, I cannot endure it any longer.

I sigh with relief as darkness wraps itself around me, blessedly cool and deep. It snuffs out that unnatural light and sweeps me away back to the old stone cave. Darkness flows along the walls like water and countless shadow creatures skitter around me. Kairi is still standing next to me.

"Riku, please," she whispers, staring at me with pained eyes. Light still gleams around her, but it is far weaker than before. Her breathing is strained and one hand is pressed against her chest. "You have to stop..."

"Stop?" I repeat incredulously. Anger bubbles up, and I don't try very hard to keep it out of my voice. "How can you say that? Kairi, we're finally free! We can finally explore other lands, just like we've always wanted. I'm not afraid! This is-"

"This isn't right!" she bursts out and light flares up around her with those words. Her eyes gleam with tears, but her voice is steady. "This isn't what I wanted. Can't you feel it? Everybody…all their lights are going out, one by one…"

She shudders and hugs her arms tightly around herself.

"Kairi..." My anger faded at the sight of her distress. I reach out to her, but she pulls away, shaking her head. She doesn't look at me.

_Why doesn't she understand?_ I think a little helplessly. _What is she talking about? Lights going out...what's wrong with her?_

"Don't worry-Sora's coming with us too," I say, casting about for something that might calm her down, ignoring the fact that I myself did not know exactly what had happened to him.

She shakes her head, harder than before. "No...I can't find him either...it's too dark..."

"I'll find him," I tell her firmly. "Aren't you always saying how the three of us will always be friends, no matter what? That we'll always be together? Don't worry...I'll find him. I promise."

I hold out my hand again, waiting for her. She stares at me for a moment, her gaze searching, full of fear and desperate hope.

"We'll...always be together...right?" The hand pressed against her chest relaxes slightly, and she bites her lip, blinking rapidly. That hand, trembling all the while, reaches out slowly across the small space between us.

Her skin is softer than anything I've felt before, softer than even the formless shadows. I close my eyes, savoring that moment.

"Let's go."

Darkness shimmers up around both of us. Kairi flinches but says nothing and continues looking at me. Pure, untainted joy blossoms in me-f_inally, finally I am traveling beyond Destiny Island! I'm free!!_

The stone cave melts away and is replaced by a smooth, narrow road of solid blackness, running out endlessly before me. It splits off in countless different directions, each one leading to countless different worlds that seem to gleam invitingly. I start take a step forward, but Kairi's hand grips mine tightly, holding me back.

"Kairi, we can't hesitate any-" I glance back at her, and the words lodge in my throat. She isn't even looking at me. She is staring back over her shoulder, eyes wide.

"Sora..." she murmurs. Her other hand raises, reaching out for somebody I cannot see.

"Kairi-"

"Sora!"

I can see her body quiver from the force of that scream, but her voice sounds hollow and distant to my ears. Frigid darkness crashes over me from behind and I gasp. My back burns with cold and that chill burrows deeper, stabbing like an icicle. This darkness is different from the wild, fierce fire that sprang to life when I had released it from deep within my heart. This darkness has its own presence, its own identity, one that is single-minded, ruthless as a predator, and older than words can describe.

Kairi's hand slides through my grip even as I brace myself against that giant wave. My other hand snaps out and wraps around her wrist, but I might as well be fighting a flood. I hold on for a bare heartbeat before her fingers slip through mine.

"Kairi!!"

I can barely see through my hair whipping around my face and the darkness flashing around me, but I catch a glimpse of the cave beyond and Sora standing before the door. His mouth moves, but I can hear nothing. His arms are spread out wide as if he is about to catch something. A ghostly light gleams through the rushing darkness--it almost has a form, like a person, but I can't see it clearly. That light dances along the leading edge of the darkness like a feather in a storm.

The force of this hurricane of darkness throws Sora and that ethereal light backwards, out of the cave and beyond my sight. At the same time, I can feel myself being pulled in the opposite direction, away from Destiny Island.

"No! Kairi! Sora!" I shout, reaching uselessly for the door, the path back to my home. Tendrils of shadow grasp at my arms and legs, dragging me back. _This isn't right,_ I think, echoing Kairi's words. _They're supposed to come with me-why can't they? What's going on? Dammit all, _what's going ON?!

"**Oi, gaki. You're in the way."**

A deep, grating voice rumbles down from the sky like thunder; I can feel it vibrating through my chest. Wondering how things could possibly get any worse, I look up over my shoulder. And up. And up. The further up I look, the more my stomach falls until by this time it must be somewhere on the other side of the planet. Towering behind me is what could only be called a titan. Its body is pitch black except for the eyes, which glow the same eerie yellow as the smaller shadow creatures. In the center of its massive chest is a heart-shaped hole. My mouth drops open. Thoughts whirl through my head like wind-tossed leaves, impossible to grasp.

The titan speaks again.

"**Oh-you're him, aren't you? Well, get going. The master's waited long enough for you."**

Before I have time to respond—assuming I could have strung together a sentence to begin with—the ground beneath my feet disappears. My heart leaps into my throat for an instant, choking off my cry, and then the shadows grab me. Everything spins sickeningly all around me for a moment before I squeeze my eyes shut. This is worse than the last time—then, I had at least felt like I was being guided toward a goal. Now, there is nothing but empty, uncaring darkness around me, darkness that would swallow me whole, just as Kairi had said.

I curl inward, forcing myself to hold on to my own identity, my own heart. For a moment I think I hear that voice from before, that soft, warm, velvety voice, but its words are drowned out by the howling void around me. I can feel the tendrils of shadow grasping at me as before and I am helpless to fight against where they pull me.

_Kairi...Sora..._ Even my own thoughts sound far away and meaningless. My last glimpses of them tumble through my mind, ephemeral memories now. Sora: his eyes wide and afraid as darkness sweeps him away. Kairi: the warmth of her hand, and then the terrible, cold, emptiness when it was torn away from mine.

_I'll find you, somehow...I promise..._ It is the only thought that can solidify in my mind right now and I cling to it like a drowning man clings to a scrap of wood.

_I promise...I promise..._

**

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Note: Gaki means "brat" in Japanese. I though it had more punch than "brat", so I used it instead.**

Hah! There! Finally! After endless re-writes, revisions, and a nasty spat of writer's block, Chapter 3 is _**finally** _finished! Hehehe-I _thought_ Chapter 3 was easy to write…and then I read over a Kingdom Hearts script again and realized that some things wouldn't fit…. I know things may seem confusing, but I promise you I do know what I'm doing, so please be patient.

Endless and abject apologies for the exceedingly late update. Oh, and I know I said "evil characters" last time, but…that got changed…Next chapter, cross my heart! I've been busy left, right, and center over here and the month of October just vanished before I realized what had happened. Anyway, I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading this. If you did let me know! And I welcome any and all criticism, particularly in regards to my writing style in general. This chapter is dedicated to each and every one of you who reads as far as the end of this sentence. _Arigatou ne! _


	4. Beyond the Door

Okay, short one this time! But a good one, I think. Time to introduce our favorite villains. I still remember the first time I played Kingdom Hearts. When that first scene came up with all the Disney villains-Jafar, Maleficent, Hook, Oogie-Boogie, Hades, etc-I remember I was actually a little freaked out! I know that Disney villains are always defeated at the end of the movie, and their evil plans are thwarted. But something about them all joining up and plotting together was just creepy to me… :)

Anyway, here's the new stuff!

**Standard Disclaimer:** Kingdom Hearts never belonged to me, never has, never will. (sniff-sniff)

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**Beyond the Door**

"Maleficent, enough! Bring him in!"

Cursed man-if you could dignify the shell he was with such a term. She let a displeased frown darken her bone-pale face.

"Did you not assure me the boy had enough strength to travel the corridors of darkness on his own?" Her voice was low for a woman. It would have been almost sultry if it weren't as cold as the stone walls around her.

He has that power, and more," came the growled reply from the shadows. "But he cannot yet control it himself and my grip on his consciousness was broken when a certain Darkside knocked him from the path. Did _you_ not assure me you had the Heartless well under your control?"

"Sarcasm does not become you, Ansem," she replied, her yellow-eyed gaze flicking sharply in the direction of the voice. That gaze returned quickly to the circle of yellowish-green flame hovering before her and the image contained within. "Perhaps I only want to see for myself what strength of darkness he possesses."

"Now is not the time for that. His heart and mind are in turmoil right now; darkness is flooding through him faster than he can hope to keep hold of. It will consume him utterly if this continues."

She did not miss the knife-edged threat that lay within the measured calm of those words. A faint smile curved her wine-dark lips.

"Isn't that what we want?"

"Power means nothing if it cannot be controlled. Bring him in."

A fierce-looking crow perched on her black-robed shoulder ruffled its feathers and rasped softly. One sharp, pale hand came up and brushed its breast feathers. As if obeying a command, the crow took off, flapping noisily away through the darkness.

"Remember, Ansem, that I am doing you a favor in this." She had a dagger of her own concealed under the silky tones. "I could let him drift in the darkness between worlds for years if I so chose."

His answer came as a derisive chuckle.

"You could no more do that than I could walk to the moon!" he snorted. "Don't play games with me, Maleficent. True, you are the only one who has the ability to pull him across worlds now, but without me Riku's true potential with the power you desire so badly will go unfulfilled!"

"And you could no more forego that than I could sit down to tea with that Keyblade brat," she said, a dangerous light flashing in her eyes.

"Well then, perhaps you are right," she went on in a low, cold voice. "Perhaps it is time, as you said, to show him what lies beyond the door to darkness."

She raised her staff and pointed it at the circle of flames. Slowly at first, then faster, she traced along the rim of the circle; the flames bent and followed her movement. Smaller and smaller she drew the circle, and as she did so, the image within grew larger. Just as the edge of the green flames touched the figure within, she slammed the butt of her staff on the stone floor.

Poisonous green flame exploded from the ground before her, tinged with yellow and black. The magical fire raged for perhaps the span of a drawn breath before flickering out. The stone room was pitch black now, but Maleficent could clearly see what the fire had left behind: the quivering, hunched form of that silver-haired boy who had caught her attention all those years ago, finally laying before her. Finally.

Draped in the shadows of her lair in Hollow Bastion, Maleficent smiled, the satisfied smile of a predator that was yet hungry for more.

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OOOOOOoooohhh, that was so much fun to write. :D The next chapter will be a _real_ chapter, back to Riku and all that goodness. ;) Not sure when it'll actually be up…I'll try to make it soon, of course. Thanks for reading! 


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